Good Out of Tragedy

Day forty-eight

There are some very special people who are making a road trip today to come and visit Oregon.  As excited as I am to see them, I am equally nervous for them to drive all the way from Utah and Idaho.  So I included a special request in my prayer this morning that the Lord would bless their trip, that they may be safe, that the weather would be mild, and that they would listen to the direction of Spirit regarding their safety.  Now I just need to trust the Lord and keep myself busy so I don't worry about them all day!

Today I am studying Moses Chapter 4 which is about how Satan became the devil, tempts Eve, and the fall of Adam and Eve.

At first glance this chapter appears to be a tragic story of deceit, human weakness, and dire consequences.  However, I look at this chapter as a chance to look at the hard times in our lives from a different perspective. 

We know that out of Adam and Eve's actions the Plan of Salvation was put into action here on Earth.  There would have been no opportunity for progression had their transgression not occurred. I don't know if Adam and Eve completely understood the implications of their actions at the time, and I imagine it must have been a very emotional experience to be removed from the Garden of Eden and the presence of God, but the consequences of their choice led to hope for all of God's children.  Good things came from what might be seen as a tragic situation. 

Here is another example of seeing things in a different light.  There is a story about the wife of a sailor who is waiting for her husband to come home.  While she is waiting, their house catches on fire and they loose everything.  Soon after this the sailor arrives on shore and runs to kiss his wife, but he finds her sad and crying.  When he asks what is wrong she says that she cannot be happy because their house burnt down and they have lost everything.  The sailor hugs his wife and explains that had it not been for their house burning down the sailor would never have made it home, for it was the flames of the fire that led them to the shore safely.

Stories like these make me think about how I look at the difficult times in my own life, do I dwell on the dire consequences or do I look for the good that can come out of it?  I have been guilty of both.

The challenge for me is to see the good during the hard times.  I know that I have not perfected this because the Lord keeps blessing me with difficult times, but I do think that I am getting better at it.  I am one of those people that learns best by doing and my Father in Heaven knows this about me and keeps giving me opportunities.  It is nice to know that I am on His mind so much!

One thing that has helped me to get through the difficult times is to remember that it isn't always about me, sometimes God works through me to help others.  To recognize this was a great blessing to me, it helped me to take the focus off myself and to look around at others that might be in need of help.  It really puts the whole 'one big family' in perspective.  The willingness to sacrifice for the good of another is the greatest act of love that we can give. 

I love this quote by John Maxwell:

"A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose - a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve."

I am forever grateful to Adam and Eve for their sacrifice and for the opportunities that I have been given because of it.  Through their experience I have learned to see the difficult times in my own life in a positive light and to recognize God's hand in these situations.  I just need to learn to enjoy the ride a little more through all the bumpy parts!